Vietnam to increase regional minimum salary

Hanoi [Vietnam], December 21: Vietnam will lift regional minimum salary for laborers by 6 percent next year, local media reported on Wednesday.
The National Wage Council gave the green light to the increase and will submit it to the government for approval. If approved, the regional minimum wage increase will take effect on July 1, 2024.
According to the latest decision of Vietnam's National Wage Council, minimum salary for workers in Region I, urban areas of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, is set to rise to 4.96 million Vietnamese dong (204 U.S. dollars) a month, while that in Region II, rural areas of the two cities along with major urban areas in the country like Can Tho, Da Nang and Hai Phong, is set to increase to 4.41 million dong (181 dollars).
Minimum salary for workers in Region III, cities and districts of northern Bac Ninh, Bac Giang and Hai Duong provinces, is poised to climb up to 3.86 million dong (158 dollars), and that in Region IV, the rest of Vietnam, is poised to rise to 3.45 million dong (141 dollars).
Le Van Thanh, deputy minister of labor, invalids and social affairs, said the increase showed difficulty sharing between enterprises and laborers.
The wage increase plan has been evaluated based on economic difficulties, world fluctuations and complex trade barriers. The council has also taken into consideration the difficult circumstances of workers in recent times due to fluctuations in prices and businesses lacking orders, he said.
Vietnam increased regional minimum salary by 7.3 percent, 6.5 percent, 5.3 percent and 6 percent in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022, respectively.
Source: Xinhua